HARRIERS hauled themselves into the top half of the table with this timely triumph after Hayes spent most of the second half reduced to 10 men.

It followed the dismissal of Romanian striker Adrian Patulea after 51 minutes for lashing out at Harriers central defender Michael Briscoe. Patulea’s departure was to prove the defining moment of the match as the 25-year-old Leyton Orient loanee was becoming a real handful for the Harriers defence.

Initially it was Harriers who made all the early running. Striker Nick Wright missed a fourth-minute sitter when he fired wide of an open goal. But the England non league international made amends on 15 minutes after Callum Gattings had worked his way along the by-line before squaring the ball back for Wright to plant home.

By that stage Patulea was beginning to make his presence felt.

Two minutes later he raced half the length of the pitch to fire into Harriers’ side netting. He then had another chance blocked in a crowded goalmouth before levelling matters on 27 minutes.

Picked out by a precious pass from Peter Holmes, Patulea turned Harriers defenders Lee Vaughan and Briscoe inside out before smacking home a precision left foot shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Danny Lewis.

Hayes could have easily snatched the lead before half time when Ahmed Deen fired across the face of an open goal, but somehow Michael Malcolm failed to connect.

Within two minutes of the second half exchanges, Lewis was forced into a point-blank save as Malcolm attempted to toe-poke home after getting behind the Harriers defence.

Then came the real talking point as Patulea was sent-off. Harriers midfield man Jack Byrne had already gone down with an unrelated injury when Patulea fired a goalbound shot which brought out a top class save by Lewis.

But while on the ground, Patulea tangled with Briscoe right in front of referee Mathew McLaughlin and saw red.

At first his departure mystified everyone as he was nowwhere near the poleaxed Byrne who had to be stretchered off.

Harriers assistant boss Gary Whild later defused the situation and said: “I don’t think Jack’s injury was down to any over-zealous challenges.

“I knew it was going to be difficult against 10 men because players get impatient. I was just relieved we had won.

“Sometimes when it’s 11 against 10, it can get a bit untidy. I was pleased that we kept our shape and composure.

“There’s more than one way to win a game and I think we toughed it out”.

It was the improving Gittings who caught the eye, playing a part in all three goals.

He crowned a tremendous display when he connected with a right wing cross from substitute Marc Williams, turning the ball neatly into the path of the oncoming Chris McPhee to fire home on 72 minutes.Then three minutes into stoppage time, Gittings responded to his man of the match announcement by latching onto a loose ball when in acres of space to fire past goalkeeper Josh Lennie.